2021 Audi A6 allroad

If you ask Audi, 2020 is the year of the wagon. The A6 Allroad returns to the United States after a two-generation hiatus, carrying the 591-horsepower RS 6 Avant in its wake. The A6's two long-roof options will provide crossover-averse luxury buyers with a midsize alternative that prioritizes style and driving dynamics over maximum size and a higher view out, but will they bite? On paper, the Allroad is a solid proposition. It’s a midsize, like the A6 sedan on which it’s based, albeit stretched. It also has a staggeringly long list of standard equipment – longer than that of either A6 sedan variant – including Audi's latest MMI infotainment wizardry and Virtual Cockpit digital cluster, positioning the Allroad as the most premium non-S model in Audi’s A6 hierarchy. The Allroad’s real party piece, however, is its trick suspension. The air setup grants adjustable ride height and firmness, allowing for all-purpose flexibility. When the C5-generation Allroad debuted 20 years ago, this notion was still cool. Whether this formula tickles your fancy two decades later is up to you, but cool or not, we can say for certain that it is no longer unique. The high-riding wagon concept has gained popularity in Europe, prompting continental automakers to give it another go in the U.S. market. Volvo has doubled down with a pair of Cross Country wagons, Mercedes has finally brought over its E-Class All-Terrain, and the A6 Allroad joins the A4 Allroad that was launched as a test balloon of sorts seven years ago. There's also the European-built Buick Regal TourX, but you wouldn't be alone in forgetting about that. Like the others the A6 Allroad is a wagon, first and foremost. It boasts 30 cubic feet of cargo space behind its rear seat, which will just about double anything you see from a midsize luxury sedan. And if you need the A6 Allroad to behave more crossover-like when the road gets rough, well, it’s right there in the name, isn’t it? Put the wagon in “Offroad” mode and you get an extra 1.2 inches of ground clearance, for a total of 6.7 inches; a “Lift” mode gives you another 0.6 inches if you really need to get it on its tippy-toes. Sounds like all of the benefits of a sporty wagon and a rugged crossover put together, right? Well, not quite, as the Allroad’s capability comes with caveats. The maximum speed for these modes is just 21.7 mph, which might sound like a random number, but it's the result of translating 35 km/h into Proper American. Mercedes claims the All-Terrain sits a very meager 5.75 inches above the ground, while the Volvo boasts a whopping 8.3 inches of static clearance regardless of the speed you're going – the clear winner here if tall is what you’re after. The Allroad also bypasses the A6 sedan’s turbo-four. Instead, it comes standard (and only) with the upgrade 3.0-liter turbocharged V6. It’s good for 335 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque and is paired …
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